Reason to Panik
Jax Panik is a catchy name, but there is more to Jacobus Johannes van Heerden’s pop-culture sensation than ear pleasing assonance and some seriously quirky music videos. abouTime caught up with the masked man himself.
abouTime: There is still confusion about the Jax Panik phenomenon. Can you clarify things for those who still feel bewildered?
Jax Panik: Ha! Bewildered how? All you have to do is join the Facebook page and all will be magically revealed. Jax Panik started out in 2007 as a mock pop star; a joke project by producers Jax van Heerden and Johnny de Ridder. It was never meant to be taken too seriously, but the first album became a runaway success, with a string of hits on local radio stations. The new album, I am Jax Panik, takes the mystery, masked man theme to a whole new dimension. Jax Panik now wears a black-and-white, skeleton-like facial covering, mimicking the cover art of the new album. The idea behind it is really this: Anyone who wears the mask can be Jax Panik. Jax Panik is one mask, not one man. Behind the mask there are many musical and visual contributors. And of course our fans!
aT: What is Jax Panik really about?
JP: Jax Panik is about discovery; predominantly self discovery. Jax Panik has become this amazing platform for young people to engage with each other, talk about the issues of their time, and make their own JP content. Jax Panik does not create content, but is rather a platform. From there our fans create the content themselves. It really is sublime to see and hugely entertaining to partake in.
aT: What is the first thing Jax Panik would do if he/they became the President of South Africa?
JP: Free Internet?
aT: Was the element of mystery surrounding Jax Panik a conscious decision?
JP: Definitely. Jax Panik stopped being fun the moment people started to recognise me. The mask is a marketing gimmick, sure, but it is also a shield.
aT: To what do you attribute Jax Panik’s social networking success?
JP: I think people absolutely love the hands on nature of Jax Panik’s online persona. It’s interesting. It’s different. We actually interact with our fans on a personal level, unlike most established acts. We are telling people how to make the ultimate sandwich, while other bands are talking about touring, in-studio stuff… heck, what a bore! We have a mini group of people actively working our online pages now. People understand that Jax Panik is a hybrid identity, so it is not weird to read his latest status update at like four in the morning! I think the bigger the page gets, the more interesting it will become. We are currently already enjoying something like 60,000 daily post views, which is really incredible!
aT: The Jax Panik concept seems to rely a lot on post-modern ideas. Is Jax Panik primarily a pseudo intellectual concept, and only after that about the music?
JP: Jax Panik is first and foremost about the music. If you don’t have the hits, you’ve got nothing – and we have those in spades! The concept runs away with us at times, but it usually ends up back on track as a musical brand first, and then as some sort of social or cultural happening. Everything is post-modern nowadays; it is hardly a novel concept. Jax Panik is “hyper real”, sure – like wrestling. But I would say Jax Panik’s story is rooted more in new media marketing ideas, rather than New Age philosophies.
aT: What is the biggest misunderstanding people have about Jax Panik?
JP: That Jax Panik is Jacobus Johannes van Heerden with a mask on.
aT: What is the best piece of advice that Jax Panik has ever been given?
JP: Do what you love and make it pay. (Thanks Dad.)
aT: Now, we know Jax Panik does not really do gigs. But what would a dream live show for Jax Panik look like?
JP: Well, Jax Panik just played Sonic Summer with Die Antwoord, Locnville and many others. It was great fun. I might even attempt more of it in 2011! My dream show would be with any super duper high profile international act: David Guetta, Lady Gaga, 30 Seconds to Mars… Bring it on!
aT: What is the biggest compliment Jax Panik has ever received?
JP: After the last Sonic Summer show someone wrote on my wall: “You made Locnville look like an opening act.”
Story by Jacqueline Cochrane
